The sense of urgency to play college football was obvious in Fitzgerald Mofor's voice, as he talked about finally getting his college football career started.

He had to make an unexpected stop at a prep school. He's at FAMU now, hoping to make the team as one of four starting linebackers.

"I'm really pumped," he said. "I want to showcase my talent; try to show what I can do."

He would have been doing that a year ago at Benedict College, which signed him in the spring of 2013 out of Sherwood High School in Maryland. Instead, he ended up at Jireh Preparatory Academy high school in Matthews, N.C., for a semester.

He's been attending summer classes at FAMU, hoping the stay ahead of the academic curb.

"College football is very humbling," he said. "Folks will turn you down to get your grades up and it's sometimes very frustrating. Every day was a struggle (in prep school) as I tried to get better academically and physically.

"I felt a little left out because my (high school) peers were in college and I was in prep school because I didn't do what I was supposed to do. But it paid off in the end."

Mofor's physicality was never in question. At 5-foot-9, 245 pounds he developed a bruising style that earned him All-League first-team honors at the end of his senior high school season. He also was named to the Montgomery County All-Gazette Second Team.

Mofor has won praises from his FAMU teammates for his work ethic during the voluntary 7-on-7 drills. With every snap, he found a way to get to the man with the ball.

"He's definitely is a guy that can come in and help us right away," said junior linebacker Akil Blount. "He's real mature and from what I've been able to help him with he has a real bright future if he keeps up with it."

In part, the tenacity he's shown is an effort to speed up his adjustment to playing college ball, he said.

"A lot of guys don't really want to take it seriously, but I've learned a lot; the plays and the coverages," he said. I'm adjusting to the college speed because those guys are a little bit faster."

Keeping with his get-it-done-now approach, Mofor quickly befriended his upperclassmen. He's shadowed Blount's every turn – in the classroom and on the field.

"He's a pretty athletic guy," said Blount. "He made a diving interception (during 7-on-7), extending himself in the air and making a pretty remarkable catch. As big as he is, he is a pretty mobile guy that can move."

Blount, who is expected to anchor the linebackers unit, said he is glad to have a player of Mofor's talent as a potential starter. He added that even if Mofor doesn't make the starting four, he'll be a solid backup.

"For me that's real exciting because when you have someone around you competing and pushing you, it will help you get better," Blount said.

His reliance on his upperclassmen will be even more so when camp starts next week, Mofor said.

"Help from the veterans means a lot because I just got here," he said. "The veterans are a lot of help, actually."